The Courage Project, presented by 52 Blocks AOD, is a program designed to give young Black boys the tools they need to build confidence, self-defense skills, and leadership abilities. On August 8, the program held a free two-hour event at Piedmont Park in Atlanta, where boys ages 7 to 17 learned about self-defense, leadership, discipline, mentorship, and conflict de-escalation.
Empowering Young Men
Coach ATL, one of the lead instructors with 52 Blocks AOD, said the organization created the Courage Project to help young Black boys develop the discipline and determination to pursue their goals. “52 Blocks AOD is a Black man’s martial arts system,” Coach ATL said. “Now, why we want to start the Courage Project is to give students, young Black men, a chance to be the best they can be.”
Elijah Kernahan, an instructor and student with 52 Blocks AOD, said the martial art appealed to him because of its connection to Black American culture. “It is strictly from Black American culture, and that’s what I liked about it,” Kernahan said. “Because not a lot of Black American martial arts are in the spotlight.”
Learning Valuable Skills
For 13-year-old Jadyn, the Courage Project was a chance to get outside, learn self-defense, and spend time around positive mentors. “I tell him to just try his best and go for it because it can really be good for him in the long run,” Jadyn said of what he would tell another young person considering the program.
Kevin Dolby, also known as Coach K, said his own experience with bullying helped inspire his work with the nonprofit. He said being bullied when he was younger contributed to him turning to guns and getting into trouble. “It’s just because you’re not confident,” Dolby said. “When you’re confident to know how to defend yourself, then you won’t run and go get a gun so quick[ly].”
Rashad Bey, founder of the Home Sweet Home Foundation and a partner in the event, helped organize the program with 52 Blocks AOD. His nonprofit focuses on uplifting humanity and initially specialized in helping people qualify for homes. Bey said empowering young Black boys is important because they can be vulnerable to systemic challenges.
Parents also saw value in providing young people with positive spaces and mentors. Kristina, who brought her son Nicholas after seeing the event on Facebook, said she wanted him exposed to more positive male role models. “This looked like a positive group to bring him around, around more positive men,” she said.
Original reporting: SaportaReport — read the source article.
